Them Bloody Cockles

Grabbed our cockles-loving friends and went to town at The Famous Kitchen. Well, they're the VIP members at the restaurant, not us. So we shall depend on them for favors. Muahahaha. This meal also required a pre-popping of a charcoal capsule and an antihistamine pill. 

We've not been back since March, and we really missed the bloody cockles. To be precise, I missed the fabulous layer of chilli and garlic. Of the many zi char restaurants we bravely attempted cockles at, this one does it the best. Cockles are high in protein, low in saturated fats and carbs (79 calories per 100g serving), but the risk of getting Hepatitis A and falling ill from bacteria in these cockles will get us first. Oof.

We were hungry, but not starving. We didn't go all out. Ordered about six to seven dishes for four of us. We didn't bother with fish or crabs. Not in a fish sort of mood tonight. Skipped crabs since that would really kill our diet plans when it comes to cadium and mercury. Hahaha. Also, too much crabs and shellfish will simply make everyone's allergies flare. 

The poached pork belly with minced garlic didn't turn out the way that I had hoped. It wasn't elegant like... Din Tai Fung's version, or like 蒜泥白肉. This was rather marinated and not as light-tasting as what I had hoped for. Two types of vegetables appeared in the form of beansprouts and kai-lan. Crispy seafood beehoon formed the carbs to pad up everyone's stomach. 

This isn't a meal we can do often. Never mind the ton of oil used to cook the dishes. The whole meal is super rich and cholesterol-laden. For the love of our heart and arteries, we should just go easy on rich foods. I tend to avoid mega zi char feasts because I've learnt long ago that my digestive system doesn't like it. As we near 50, we're super cognizant of our cardiovascular health. 

However, the laughter around the table for such a meal (usually 4 to 6 persons Well, only a maximum of 5 for now.) is very precious. Tonight, we give thanks quietly to these friends who have been there with us through ups and downs for many years. I met them in my late twenties. By now, they're here to stay. They're what we call, our lifelong friends, warming the cockles of one another's hearts. 😬😂 These two years have helped us whittle down the friends that we want to see in person and keep in touch with. For me, they're pretty much the same few. I only cut out the acquaintances, or even those whom I wouldn't mind forming a deeper friendship with, but it isn't priority when nothing in our lives cross, and there're few shared reasons to make an effort.